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JUNEAU, Alaska ó Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP vice presidential candidate, has hired a private practice attorney to defend her and members of her staff in the investigation into the firing of her public safety commissioner.

The state Legislature is investigating whether Palin fired public safety commissioner Walt Monegan after he refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palinís sister.

Anchorage attorney Thomas V. Van Flein has requested a copy of all witness statements and documentary evidence from the Legislatureís investigator, Stephen Branchflower.

Sen. Hollis French, an Anchorage Democrat, responded on behalf of Branchflower, saying he instructed Branchflower not to comply with the request.

In July, a legislative oversight committee approved $100,000 for an investigation into whether Palin abused her power in firing Monegan.

At Coretta Scott King's funeral in early 2006, Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert Kennedy, leaned over to him and whispered, "The torch is being passed to you." "A chill went up my spine," Obama told an aide. (Newsweek)

The state Legislature is investigating whether Palin fired public safety commissioner Walt Monegan after he refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palinís sister.

Is this not out of the ordinary?

At Coretta Scott King's funeral in early 2006, Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert Kennedy, leaned over to him and whispered, "The torch is being passed to you." "A chill went up my spine," Obama told an aide. (Newsweek)

The state Legislature is investigating whether Palin fired public safety commissioner Walt Monegan after he refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palinís sister.

Is this not out of the ordinary?

I heard the dismissal had more to due with him not being on board with budget issues. It is my understanding that Palin offered him a position as executive director for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, but he turned it down. That's not exactly firing someone...more like a reassignment to me.

Here's a great piece written by an Alaskan Attorney in the Anchorage Daily News. I lived in Anchorage Alaska for four years and in the state for twelve.

I served with two men who are now Alaska State Troopers.

I seriously question why Monegan would not take a careful look at whether the troopers adequately investigated reports from multiple witnesses that Wooten drove his patrol car while drunk or drinking alcohol. I also question why Monegan showed no concern over the apparently favorable treatment Wooten got from his fellow trooper, who stopped him on suspicion of drunk driving and gave him a ride home without arresting him, even though he smelled alcohol on his breath. And why would Monegan think that a meager five-day suspension was sufficient for Tasering an innocent child, illegally shooting a moose, speeding, making unsafe lane changes and engaging in other unsafe driving?

Should we feel better knowing that witnesses have described how one of our troopers, a man who wears a badge and exercises the authority of law, drove a marked trooper vehicle while intoxicated, only to be stopped and taxied home by a fellow trooper? Should we feel better after reading the transcript of this trooper's investigative interview, which records the snickering and laughing of this trooper and his union representative? Are we expected to believe that the scandal here is about whether our governor "abused power" by allegedly suggesting that this plainly unqualified man be dismissed as a trooper, rather than about why those individuals assigned the responsibility to manage our troopers neglected to perform their jobs by using the power we gave them?

At least once every human should have to run for his life, to teach him that milk does not come from supermarkets, that safety does not come from policemen, that news is not something that happens to other people. ~ Robert Heinlein

The state has hired a private lawyer to represent Gov. Sarah Palin's office in the Legislature's investigation into the firing of former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan...

The state Department of Law hired Thomas Van Flein, an Anchorage attorney with expertise in employment law and professional liability, because Attorney General Talis Colberg has a potential conflict of interest and shouldn't represent the governor, Van Flein said Monday.

These posts really amuse me. I post on a Veteran's forum (Eagles) and we've begun getting hit with the same drivel over there. There are new members signing on and low and behold, this same type of crap is appearing in their first posts. Palin this, Palin's hubby that, Palin's daughter, the trooper investigation. I'd swear it's all coming from the same people as we're seeing here, or they're using the same script.